Tag: Dollars

Salary negotiation is tricky business, but this infographic offers some insight into the best times for bringing up your request and and other interesting job statistics to remind you that money isn’t everything.

In addition to noting that the best times to request raises are the weeks before the “J” months, the infographic shows the correlation between income and job satisfaction for a number of careers. Some really highly paid workers, like lawyers, aren’t happier than less well-paid ones, like writers.

The moral of the story may be to time your raise negotiation request but also find the job you like, hopefully one that pays $75,000. (Click here for why that is the magic income number for happiness: we’ve noted previously).

This IS a clever idea! My Kitchen Escapades details how to easily make your own ice packs from cheap sponges:

The first week of school was 89% disaster-free. I consider that a complete success. My kindergardener doesn’t start until tomorrow and I am anxious for that beautiful day to arrive. He was completely insulted that all his older siblings got to start last week and he was stuck at home with his mom and 2-year old sister.

A certain child of mine, and I won’t name any names (Luke), tends to go through at least 3 lunch boxes a year and countless reusable containers and ice packs. Last year, I made him pay for his own replacements in an attempt to make him more responsible.

I was thrilled when I found this method for making your own ice packs. So simple and if when he loses them, it won’t cost him his college savings to buy new ones. I buy the cheap pack of 4 sponges from the dollar store to make the loss-impact even less.

To make, just saturate a clean sponge with water and place into a ziplock bag. Lay flat in the freezer and freeze overnight. In the morning, just toss them into the lunch boxes. As they melt, they will reabsorb the water so just toss them back in the freezer after school!!!

It is coming – tomorrow (don’t you wish it had the feature shown here: iPhone 5 New Concept Featured?)! Well at least it will be announced. IF you want to sell your existing iPhone and maximize the dollars you get – here are some great tips from Gizmodo:

Apple’s next iPhone is coming tomorrow. If you’re planning cashing in your old phone, you need to do it now. Here’s where to look for the best deal while there’s still some time left.

ebayHow much: $309-$400How to do it: You can go one of two ways with eBay—you can either sell it right now for about $330 or you can wait it out and let it go to the highest bidder. Many of those sales seem to be closing below $400 at this point. With the announcement coming tomorrow, it might be better to cut your losses and take the cash now—if you wait around, there might not be as many people interested in the iPhone 4S once there’s a new model running around.

AmazonHow much: $104-$405How to do it: Amazon is offering Amazon gift certificates in exchange for your phone. $405 sounds really enticing, but this is only if your phone is in absolute mint condition and you’re willing to trade your charger too (that shouldn’t be a problem considering the 30-pin connector is expected to shrink). Most iPhones in good condition should earn around $344.

RadioShackHow much: $73-$250How to do it: Just want the cash without the hassle? RadioShack will straight up fork over a nice $250 if you’re ready to part with your phone, if it’s in perfect condition. But if you accidentally ran it through the spin cycle, RadioShack says it will still give you $73, which is something. You can recoup your pesos by visiting your local RadioShack or mailing your phone off.

CraigslistHow much: $199 and upHow to do it: You’ve got to be willing to put in some work here. That means wading through spammers, scammers, and people with awful email etiquette. But if your phone has taken a beating, this is your solution. You’ll see everything from brand new phones to devices that are totally borked. Be sure to check out your local Craigslist page to gauge the kinds of prices iPhones are going for. Though this takes more work, you’re bound to get at least a little cash back.

Gazelle, InstantSale, Buy My Tronics, NextWorth, GlydeHow much:$37-$365How to do it: Hate human contact? Here’s the route you need to take if you want the best price without any hassle. Get an estimate on your iPhone’s worth based on it’s condition, then mail it in. These companies will then assess your phone and send you money for it. Check out various sites to see where you can get the best offer, because it totally varies.

For example, on the lower end Gazelle will give you just $37 for a completely borked phone while BuyMyTronics will fork over just $75. On the other hand, mint condition will earn you $290 from Gazelle or $360 from Glyde. Prices fluctuate often and will just keep dropping, so do your homework before you collect.

Whichever virtual pawn shop you choose to shed your old iPhone, make haste. With every day that passes, these soon-to-be passé phones depreciate. Right now there’s still more demand than supply; the longer you wait, the less that’s true. And that’s money out of your pocket.

It is coming up again soon – and maybe in your state – Tax-Free Weekend! Take a look at these details from OneDayBuys:

This is a complete list of tax free weekends happening throughout the U.S. this summer and fall. Note that a few states have multiple dates with different items designated tax free. Click on your state’s abbreviation below to take you directly to your state: